Common Cisco IOS Commands

A fast, searchable cheatsheet for common Cisco commands. Click a category or use the search bar to filter.

Fundamentals Overview

Command Modes

Cisco IOS uses a hierarchical mode structure. Your current mode determines which commands are available. Understanding how to navigate between them is the first step to mastering the CLI.

  • User EXEC Mode (`>`): Basic monitoring commands.
  • Privileged EXEC Mode (`#`): Full monitoring, debugging, and file management. Access with `enable`.
  • Global Configuration Mode (`(config)#`): For device-wide configuration changes. Access with `configure terminal`.
  • Sub-configuration Modes (`(config-if)#`, etc.): For specific feature configurations (interfaces, routing).

Privilege Levels (0-15)

Privilege levels provide granular, role-based access control, enhancing security by limiting command access based on user roles.

Level 1 (Default User): Access to basic `show`, `ping`, `telnet`.

Level 15 (Default Privileged): Complete access to all commands.

Levels 2-14: Customizable for specific roles (e.g., help desk).

Router login: user

Password: ********

Router> enable

Router# ▋

Command Explorer

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